Feminist scholar Jo Freeman has long been one of our most astute observers of the often surreal world of U.S. politics. In her new book We Will Be Heard: Women's Struggles for Political Power in the United States, she collects some of her best essays about women in politics into one volume.

According to the publisher, the book will be hitting the shelves on March 28, 2008. If you order at the prepublication price , you can receive a substantial discount.

From J. Ellen Foster's address to the 1892 Republican Convention to Nancy Pelosi's 2007 election as the first female Speaker of the House, women have worked to influence politics at every level. Well before most could vote, women campaigned for candidates and lobbied to shape public policy. Men welcomed their work, but not their ideas. Even with equal suffrage women faced many barriers to full political participation.

The fifteen case studies of women’s struggles for political influence in this book provide the historical context for today’s political events. Starting with an overview of when and why political women have been studied, the three sections of the book look at different ways in which women have broken barriers, practiced politics, and promoted public policy. These engaging and accessible stories are even more important in today’s political climate, when a woman can finally be a front-runner in a presidential race.

Readers of all political stripes will enjoy the history behind modern politics in this story of women struggling to make their voices heard.